Aaron Rodgers: The NFL's MVP Loves the West

It makes sense that a guy who grew up in Chico, Ca., went to the University of California and has an offseason home in the San Diego area loves the west. I'm talking about Aaron Rodgers.

But Rodgers likes the west for other reasons as well. Since Rodgers became a starter in 2008, he has played the NFC West seven times in the regular season and the Green Bay Packers have won all seven times.

In those seven games, Rodgers has thrown 14 TD passes compared to just one interception for 1,907 yards and has a QB rating of 117.1.

That's good news for Packer nation as the Packers are about to face the San Francisco 49ers in the season opener this Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Oh, by the way, Rodgers is 3-1 against the AFC West too, and has thrown 11 TD passes to just two picks for 1,171 yards and has a QB rating of 116.1.

The Packers played the AFC West last season and unfortunately for Rodgers and the Packers, the Kansas City Chiefs gave Rodgers his only regular season loss vs. the west and it also cost the Packers a perfect regular season in 2011.

This year, the Packers play the NFC West teams, starting with the Niners opening weekend.

Not only does Rodgers have the number of the 49ers, as he is 2-0 against them, but so do the Packers, who have won eight straight games vs. San Francisco.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

The last time the Packers lost to the Niners was the Terrell Owens TD catch with just seconds remaining in the 1998 Wild Card playoff game. Packers fans remember that during that TD drive by Steve Young and company, Jerry Rice had clearly fumbled during the drive. Unfortunately, there was no replay option then.

Otherwise the Packers win the game and they would have a 14-game winning streak vs. the 49ers.

Rodgers has also played the NFC West once in the playoffs too, as he was starting his first playoff game. Rodgers was fabulous overall, after starting the game by throwing a pick.

Rodgers was 28 of 42 for 422 yards, 4 TDs and a 121.3 QB rating. All but two of Rodgers' yards came after the first quarter. Rodgers also scored a TD on a QB sneak.

Rodgers brought the Packers back from a three-touchdown deficit to force the game to overtime. The Packers got the ball first and Rodgers just missed Greg Jennings on a deep post which would have won the game.

On the final play of the game, Rodgers was hit by CB Michael Adams on a blitz and he fumble kicked the ball to Karlos Dansby who caught the ball without it ever touching the ground and he scored from 17 yards out to end the game 51-45.

However, the refs obviously missed a call. As Rodgers was hit by Adams, he was grabbed by the face mask and taken to the ground. That should have been another clear personal foul. But the refs didn’t make the call and Dansby’s TD stood.

Photo by Mark Hoffman of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Still that game was a signal to everyone that Rodgers would become a force in the postseason. Rodgers is now the highest rated QB in NFL postseason history, as Rodgers has thrown 15 touchdown passes vs. only four picks for 1,781 yards and has a QB rating of 105.5 in his career during the postseason.

Rodgers is also the highest rated QB in regular season history, as he has thrown 132 touchdown passes vs. just 38 interceptions for 17,366 yards and has a 104.1 QB rating in his career during the regular season.

That's a good sign for Sunday's game.

Bottom line, Rodgers loves playing teams from the west. Especially the team he grew up dreaming about playing for. That would be the 49ers.

Rodgers thought he was going to be a 49er in the 2005 NFL draft, as then San Francisco offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy told Rodgers that the Niners would pick him with the first overall pick of the draft. San Francisco took Alex Smith instead, and Rodgers fell to the 24th pick of the draft into the welcome arms of Ted Thompson.

The rest they say is history. A history that the Packers are enjoying with pleasure, as Rodgers has become a Super Bowl MVP as well as league MVP last season.